Beverage container and support therefor



Jam. E, 195@ L.. E. RABJGHN BEVERAGE CONTAINER AND SUPPORT THEREFOR Filed June 25, 1947 NNVENTOR, mvp E @AJOH/v ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 17, 1950 OFFICE BEVERAGE CONTAINER AND SUPPORT THEREFOR Lloyd E. Rabjohn, Glendale, Calif.

Application June 23, 1947, Serial No. 756,349

3 Claims.

This invention relates to containers for storing and thermally-conditioning beverages, such as chilled fruit-juices or hot chocolate, and from which containers the beverages can be dispensed to the public. i

In my copending application Serial No. 708,611, filed November 8, 1946, I have disclosed a similar container which comprises `a hollow cylinder, made of glass or other transparent material so as to render the contents visible, having a bottom fof thin metal for facilitating cooling or heating :of the beverage; the bottom being conelike andresting on a iconelike heat-exchanger, so that not only is the container rmly supported but also there is a relatively large area for thermal transfer. It is usually necessary to stir continuously beverages of the character mentioned, and the means for that purpose disclosed in said copending application consists of a rotatable vane connected to an electric motor mounted on the cover ofthe container.

It is an object of the present invention to improve the arrangement described above in connection with said `:copending application, and I accomplish this object (l)` by increasing the height of the conelike metallic bottom so that its apex is .adjacentthe top of the container, whereby the area of the surface of the cone presented to the heat-exchanger is increased, and (2) `by providing an opening at the apex of the cone (which is above the highest level of the beverage) through which opening there extends upwardly (without the requirement for any seal) a shaft for operating the stirring Vane, so that the stirring motor can be disposed Within the container-support instead of on the cover.

For full understanding of the invention, and further appreciation of its objects and advantages, reference is to be had to the following detailed description and accompanying drawing, and to the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a View, mainly in section, of a beverage container embodying the invention, shown resting on a support or base and associated with apparatus suitable for the proper conditioning or preserving of a beverage such as orangejuice; and

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the container unit per se, toreduced scale and taken generally along the line 2-2 0f Fig. 1.

In the drawing, the numeral II generally indicates the container of this invention which comprises a hollow cylinder I2, of glass or other transparent material, having a conelike bottom I3 of sheet-metal such as stainless steel or other corrosion-resistant alloy, `or of copper having a thin inner facing or coating of some material which is not aiected by the acid of fruit juices, the coated-copper bottom being preferred on account `of its higher thermal conductivity. At its bottom, the cone I3 is welded to a metallic band I4 which encircles the lower portion of .the cylinder I2 and is sealingly joined thereto by suitable cement. Welded to the band I4 is the stem I5 of a faucet I6 for dispensing the beverage, indicated at I'I, from the container; the opening in the glass cylinder for the faucet-stem being large enough that the stem is supported solely by the band, which minimizes the possibility of breakage of the glass if the faucet is jarred. i

The container II is shown associated with re frgerating apparatus which includes a conelike heat-exchanger I 8 shaped to conform to the underside of the container-bottom I3; the con tainer (shown per se in Fig. 2) merely resting on the heat-exchanger so that it can readily be lifted therefrom for cleaning. The heat-ex changer I3 comprises a pair of nested conelike members I9 and 20 which are spaced apart to receive a cooling-coil 2| and are joined together at their tops and bottoms; the heat-exchanger being secured to the top wall of a cabinet 22 wherein is conventional refrigerating apparatus (not shown) for circulating refrigerant through the coil 2| under the control of a thermostat (not shown) responsive to the temperature of the bottom of the beverage container.

The heat-exchanger I8 is arranged to provide at its apex an opening wherein is welded a sleeve 23 aligned with another sleeve 24 welded to the container-bottom at its apex. The sleeves 23-24 form bearings for a rod 25 whose outer or upper end portion is so bent that it extends adjacent the side of the container and downwardly into the beverage; the rod being supported on the sleeve 2d. by a collar 25 secured to the rod. Welded to the dependent outer portion of rod 25 is a vane 21, V-shaped in cross-section, which, when rotated slowly in counterclockwise direction as viewed from the top, is adapted to effect the stirring action required in connection with beverages such as citrus-fruit juices. For operating the stirring vane there is mounted in the cabinet 22 an electric motor 2B whose shaft Z9 is extended upwardly within the sleeve 23 and formed to provide a slip-coupling with the rod 25 such that the stirring means can readily be withdrawn. The interior of the heat-exchanger is packed with material, such as the cork indicated at 35], for insulating the heat-exchanger from heat produced in the cabinet 22 by operation of the refrigerating apparatus.

Resting on top of the container l i, and so surrounding the sides of the container as to provide an insulating dead-air space therearound, is a cylindrical cover 3| of transparent material such as plastic. The cover extends into close proximity to the top of the cabinet 22 and is there surrounded by an annular member 32, secured to the cabinet top, having a turned-up edge for catching any condensate which may drip from the container. In the top wall of the cover is an opening, normally closed by a closure 33, whereby the contents of the container can be replenished.

The specific embodiment of my invention herein shown and described is obviously susceptible of modiiication without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I intend therefore to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. Apparatus for conditioning and storing beverages comprising, in combination, a container for receiving a beverage including a cylindrical wall and a reentrant bottom of cone shape, the top of said cone shaped bottom extending to near the top of said container, a sleeve sealed to the top of said vcone shaped bottom, a stirrer shaft rotatably extending upwardly through said sleeve and bent downwardly therefrom, a stirrer blade secured to said shaft and depending to adjacent the angular juncture of said container wall and cone shaped bottom, and a supported cone shaped heat exchanger disposed within said cone shaped bottom in intimate contact therewith and nestingly supporting said container, said stirrer shaft also extending upwardly through said cone shaped heat exchanger and being adapted to be connected at its lower end to a driving member.

2. Apparatus for conditioning and storing beverages comprising, in combination, a container for receiving a beverage including a cylindrical transparent wall and a reentrant bottom of cone shape, the top of said cone shaped bottom extending to near the top of said container, a

sleeve sealed to the top of said cone shaped bottom, a stirrer shaft rotatably extending upwardly through said sleeve and bent downwardly therefrom, a stirrer blade secured to said shaft and depending to adjacent the angular juncture of said container wall and cone shaped bottom, and a supported cone shaped heat exchanger disposed within said cone shaped bottom in intimate contact therewith and nestingly supporting said container, said stirrer shaft also extending upwardly through said cone shaped heat exchanger and being adapted to be connected at its lower end to a, driving member, means for rotating said stirrer shaft, and means for energizing said heat exchanger.

3. Apparatus for conditioning and storing beverages comprising, in combination, a container for receiving a beverage including a cylindrical wall and a reentrant bottom of cone shape, the top of said cone shaped bottom extending to near the top of said container, a sleeve sealed to the top of said cone shaped bottom, a stirrer shaft rotatably extending upwardly through said sleeve and bent downwardly therefrom, a stirrer blade secured to said shaft and depending to adjacent the angular juncture of said container wall and cone shaped bottom, and a supported cone shaped heat exchanger disposed within said' cone shaped bottom in intimate contact therewith and nestingly supporting said container, said stirrer shaft also extending upwardly through said cone shaped heat exchanger and being adapted to be connected at its lower end to a driving member, and insulating material within and filling said cone shaped heat exchanger of cone shape and in intimate contact therewith.

LLOYD E. RABJOHN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,369,345 Lobeck Feb. 22, 1921 1,859,566 Konikow May 24, 1921 2,414,521 Gunther Jan. 2l, 1947 

